


The Curse of Hanahaki

by Oddaudrey



Series: Half-Siblings Campaign Stories [3]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Alternative scenarios, Gen, Hanahaki Disease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:34:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23613850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oddaudrey/pseuds/Oddaudrey
Summary: Scenarios in which Juniper dies/survives Hanahaki Disease.
Relationships: sibling relationships - Relationship
Series: Half-Siblings Campaign Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699720
Kudos: 3





	1. Juni dies

**Author's Note:**

> A love letter to Juniper's precious half-siblings <3 thank you for being his family

_“Given that we have not been successful at fully curing you of your disease…I suspect that, even with the use of ki and meditation, you will not live past the age of 20. I’m sorry, Juniper.” ___

____

____

Master Sylric had given him that prediction when Juniper was still young. 

Now, Juniper was 19…He thought he had more time, he thought that if he just stayed strong and determined that he could outlive his diagnosis and finally meet him.

But as the days went on, he felt a heavy weight on his chest. Breathing became a taxing labor, and was far worse when walking or attempting to talk. 

He felt guilty about how his sibling’s travels were slowed down because he found it too hard to keep up. 

At one point it was still midday, but Juniper couldn’t walk any further, and when he refused to be carried his siblings had decided to set up camp for the night. Each sibling had checked up on him in his tent, each with a concerned expression on their faces. 

Apparently it had been a big discussion, who would sleep with him for the night…Because he was needy, he was terrified of being alone and his siblings had to put up with him. 

It made his chest ache, it seemed he felt pain no matter what. Debilitating anxiety at being alone, debilitating anxiety at being a burden. 

He lay on his back with his eyes closed, just trying to focus on his breathing. 

“Your chest doesn’t sound good.” A voice spoke out to him. 

He opened his eyes and looked up, Mogogol, his froggy sister, was lying across his chest. He hadn’t even known she came in. 

“Mogogol thinks we should try to find a town with a healer.” Mogogol suggested. 

He didn’t want to tell her it was hopeless, but he couldn’t lie and derail his siblings from their quest. 

“I don’t know if a healer can help me.” Juniper said, “But maybe I’ll feel better tomorrow.” 

Mogogol walked across his chest, slid off his shoulder, and nestled herself into his long black hair. 

He felt calm and peaceful for only a second before his chest began to tighten once more. He tried not to make it sound like his breathing was labored, he didn’t want his sister to worry, he didn’t want anyone to worry. 

Juniper lay like that all night, feigning steady breathing when in reality he felt a loss of breath, like he was choking and no air was coming in. It only grew worse with time. 

While no one was looking, he coughed out bright red petals to a whole flower. Hanahaki disease has decorated him with many flowers…Forget-me-nots, pink begonias, yellow carnations…But this flower that appeared so close to the end of his life, it was a red spider lily.

He didn’t want to break down, he desperately wanted to be held together. 

Every step he took felt like it was his last, every breath he took grew more shallow by the minute. 

He was lightheaded to the point where he felt like he was still sleeping, trapped in some awful painful dream. 

He didn’t want to give up, he wanted to be strong like everyone else. 

…But he wasn’t strong enough. 

Juniper collapsed onto the dirt, an array of screams surrounded him as he went down. 

He was pulled off the ground by his sister, Atlaya, her snake-like tail cradling his body. She was saying something, but it was hard to hear her voice, she sounded so distant.

Ressa placed her non-zombified hand against Juniper’s forehead. Cervantes had a hand against his back. Anemone had taken his hand and held it close in her own. Mogogol had positioned herself on Anemone’s shoulder. Annabeth and Gnog kept a cautious distance but were close enough so they could see Juniper among the crowd. 

His eyes were tightly shut, and all those tears that he wanted to hold in began to pour out. 

“I c-can’t b-breath.” He managed to choke out, “I-I can’t-“ 

His sibling’s voices were becoming more prominent. 

“Just hang in there, you’re going to be fine. Do you hear me?” Atlaya talked to him in a stern but worried voice. 

“He feels cold, his lips are tinted blue.” Ressa explained, “I don’t think he can breathe.” 

“Come on Juni, just breath, in and out!” Anemone tried to encourage him. 

“We’re right here, we’ve got you.” Cervantes ensured him. 

“Gnog doesn’t understand, what is wrong with brother..?” He asked, looking around innocently, connecting eyes with Annabeth he placed a hand on Gnog’s shoulder. 

She decided to step into the crowd. 

A majority of the siblings had grown silent. Mogogol seemed to be the first to understand the situation and told to look away, hiding herself behind Anemone’s ear. Anemone had since burst into uncontrollable sobs. Atlaya still encouraged him to conquer over what was about to happen inevitably. 

Annabeth had begun to say a prayer, a healing spell was being cast upon him…But it did nothing. 

There was no cure but love for the Hanahaki disease. 

How deadly it was, love was so scarce in this world. 

And yet, it was so prevalent.

His siblings had made him feel like he was part of a family again. 

He felt so loved, but he was so far gone already. 

He longed for the person whose love he wanted the most. 

“I wanted to meet father…” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Those were the last words he could manage to speak, but there was so much more he wanted to say. 

He wanted to tell his siblings that he loved them. He wanted to apologize for all the trouble he was causing. He wanted to thank his siblings for being there for him. He wanted to say that meeting them made him feel whole again, even if it wasn’t meant to last. 

But no more words came out…

He drifted off, head light from the lack of air, a very painful way to drift off to sleep. 

He could still hear their words. 

“Annabeth, it’s not working!’ 

“I’m not giving up!” 

“Juni, please wake up, please…” 

“Brother…” 

“Juni…we love y-“

And then he passed…

…

…

…

* * *

Juniper was dressed in a white kimono, crossed right over left. His pale hands folded against his waist. His siblings had decorated him with flowers close to his head, creating a halo of sorts. 

Juniper had always been closely connected to flowers. Not only did they grow within him, but just like him, flowers are fragile and could easily wither away…But flowers are also beautiful and loved by all. 

The siblings had collectively poured a lot of money into ensuring that Juniper would have a beautiful funeral. It had been difficult, and it had taken longer than they had hoped, but even in death half-elves appeared as if they were just sleeping. 

The funeral was private, meant for their eyes alone. 

Annabeth, however, called upon her faith during this difficult time.

“O Moon Goddess, benevolent and wise, guide my brother’s soul to a place where he may be safe from harm.” Annabeth spoke, pacing around the casket, “Protect him under your luminous gaze, hold him in your sweet embrace as he eternally rests under your graceful care.” 

She stopped, moving a strand of hair that fell out of place across Juniper’s placid face, “Rest easy, Juniper” she spoke quietly out of prayer and returned to quietly stand beside the rest of her siblings. 

“This isn’t fair, he was so young, there was so much more for him to experience. I wanted to show him things.” Anemone cried, she had been crying consistently for days, never running out of water to fuel her tears given her lineage. It had taken everything within her to not hide away, in this moment she needed to be here. 

“He’s gone, all because that man never bothered to be in any of our lives.” Atlaya claimed vindictively, her teeth clenched tight in anger. 

“You can’t blame father for this, Juniper has been sick for a long time.” Ressa explained. 

“Sick with what exactly, Ressa? Hanahaki Disease. A disease that kills the victim if they suffer from unrequited love.” Atlaya talked back fiercely, “We loved him, the only person who didn’t love him back was that man who brought him into existence in the first place.”

Ressa couldn’t argue, she was the only one who truly knew their father, so of course she was less inclined to believe he was a horrible person…But her father’s actions were hard to understand, and Juniper was directly harmed from his absence. 

She wished she could just talk to father again, to understand him, to give Juniper that confirmation that his father did care for him…But even she didn’t know if that was true or not. 

Now Juniper was gone, and their quest to find their father stood still. 

After losing their brother, no one was particularly eager to find father. 

“Ressa, please don’t cry, I’m sorry…” Atlaya spoke in a more quiet tone. 

Ressa held around her eye, she was indeed crying, she just hadn’t noticed. 

“It’s alright, you are right. Father wasn’t here when he should have been. None of us can change what happened. All we can do now is make sure Juniper can rest peacefully.” Ressa said. 

Gnog had waddled over to the casket. He had stayed in the distance for a while. This whole time, he lacked an understanding of what was going on and just went with the motions. 

But seeing his brother lying there, motionless, unresponsive…It was worrying him. 

“What’s wrong with brother? Why won’t he wake up?” Gnog asked his siblings. 

They all looked at each other, equally devastated and unsure of what to say. 

“Gnog…Juniper is dead, he can’t wake up.” Anemone tried to explain, Gnog tilted his head at her. 

“When will he wake up?” Gnog asked again.

f“Gnog, he can’t. Death is like an eternal sleep. His soul has already moved on.” Anemone rephrases herself. 

Gnog planted himself close to Juniper’s head, perched on the headstone they planned on burying Juniper under, “Gnog will protect brother while he sleeps.” 

“Gnog-“ Anemone stopped as her ear was pulled by a distressed Mogogol. 

She had remained quiet since Juniper’s passing, and no one could get her out of the feelings of hopelessness she was lost in. 

“Lay Juniper to rest already. He deserves to rest.” Mogogol said in a low and tired voice. 

Cervantes lifted up the lid to the thatch coffin Juniper lay in, he was hesitant to place it on, knowing this would be the last time anyone saw Juniper’s face. 

“Juni, I hope you know that we all love you, so much. You are and have always been loved.” Cervantes said, “Goodnight, little brother.” 

Juniper’s face disappeared behind the lid of the coffin. Cervantes started the fire from the wood and charcoal resting below. 

The siblings watched somberly as their brother began to turn to ash, ready to return to the Earth. 

Everyone was silent, until Atlaya saw something and shouted, “Look up there!”

She pointed towards a mystical Ki-Rin, the creature that had guided Juniper to this very monastery years prior had now come to see him off. 

The siblings were mesmerized as the Ki-Rin looked over them from the edge of the mountain’s rocks. It bowed its head, and then disappeared further up the mountain, completely out of sight. 

Once the cremation was done, Juniper’s ashes were buried by his headstone and next to his mother in the Lotus Sanctum’s private cemetery. 

“We’ll have to come a long way to visit you, Juni, but you deserved to lay next to your mother.” Anemone said as her parting statement. 

“Miss Cypress, thank you for giving birth to Juniper. He was wonderful to have in our lives. I hope you are happy that we have returned your son to you.” Cervantes paid his respects to Juniper’s mother as well, he left, keeping a positive disposition for the other siblings, but it was easy to see that he truly wanted to apologize for not being able to save Juniper from an early death. 

The siblings got prepared to leave, one by one, eager to leave behind the eeriness of the empty monastery. It was no wonder Juniper was so scared to sleep alone after spending so many years here alone after the disappearance of the monks. 

“Come on, Gnog, it’s time to go.” Annabeth announced. 

Gnog shook his head, “Gnog is protecting brother. Gnog can’t leave brother’s side.” 

“Gnog, he doesn’t need you to look after him.” Annabeth pleaded, but Gnog was a stubborn little gargoyle. 

No one had the energy to try to pry Gnog away from his precious sibling. 

“Is it alright if we spend the night here?” Annabeth asked. 

The siblings agreed and set up their beds within the empty monastery. 

It was quiet, nothing could be heard but the occasional breeze of the wind, soft and barely audible. It was an isolating feeling, this monastery was filled with nothing but ghosts. 

For one night, Juniper’s siblings experienced the loneliness Juniper had held during his period of isolation in the monastery…It was unbearable.


	2. Juni Lives

_“Juni…We love you.” ___

____

____

That’s right…He was loved. 

All his life, he had felt inferior. 

A bastard son of a man who left him and his mother behind. 

An outcast, the only half-elf in the entire village. 

A novice monk, left to care for an entire monastery alone. 

Isolated from all, missing a purpose, feeling useless. 

How the years of isolation weight down on him, tightening the growing vines and thorns within his lungs. The Hanahaki remained within him, mostly dormant, only causing him pain due to anxiety. 

It had gotten worse, the closer they got to meeting father. 

He was paranoid, terrified of the very man who helped bring him to life. 

Would he be accepted? He probably wouldn’t be, how could he? His father may not even know he existed in the first place. 

The fear of rejection, it was too much to bear…But he wasn’t rejected by those who mattered. 

His siblings, his family…

They had entered his life like a storm, they guided him through life outside of the monastery, showed him such wonderful things and shared amazing moments with him. 

He may never be loved by his father…But that was okay, his siblings were always going to be in his life. They weren’t going to leave, not after everything they had been through together. 

Pfairesav'es Montesa dar Slene-Arden se Un, or rather known as Ressa, was wise but always fun. She took her situation of being undead with stride, always guiding her siblings, providing protection without ever coming across as overbearing. 

Cervantes was like the father he never had. He was a strong older brother, but gentle when he needed to be. His hugs were warm and tight, he made Juniper feel safe at all times. 

Annabeth was diligent and reliable. Juniper could easily relate to her relationship with her own religion and how structured livelihood felt. Even if she couldn’t relate to his feelings, she never made him feel inferior, she provided comfort in whatever way she could, in her own ‘Annie-way.’

Mogogol was kept the siblings tightly knit together. Although she was small, she was much was filled with so much humor and so much determination to make sure this family remains a family. 

Anemone was kind and caring, she wore her heart on her sleeve. She always listened to whatever Juniper, eager just to hear him be passionate about something. Always encouraging, always fun.

Atlaya was confident, outgoing, a natural performer. She had an adventurous spirit, but that never stopped her from taking things slow for Juniper. She allowed him to share a room with her to quell his fear of being alone.

Gnog, his only little sibling, a loyal little gargoyle. The way Gnog was so fascinated by life, the innocence he held, it was so precious and worth protecting. Juniper had to be there for him.

He didn’t want to leave them, there was so much more he wanted to do. 

He wanted to be with his family.

…

…

…

* * *

Juniper awoke slowly, taking in a deep breath of air as his eyelids slowly opened. He lay there silently, taking in the new surroundings. 

He thought back to what he last remembered…Being in pain, feeling like he couldn’t breathe, his siblings surrounding him. 

One thing was different, he was lying in a bed in some strange house. One thing was still the same, he was surrounded by his siblings. 

Altaya and Anemone lay at either side of him, curled up close. Atlaya’s snake-like tail wrapped partly around him. 

Mogogol was sprawled out across his chest. 

Gnog was curled up by his feet at the edge of the bed. 

Cervantes and Reesa leaned on each other on the bench by the left side of the room, Annabeth was sitting in the chair on his right. 

All of them were fast asleep. 

He wasn’t sure what to think, his mind still foggy and disoriented, his siblings all looked exhausted as if they had been up all night. Whose house were they in? 

“Oh, you’re up, thank goodness.” An older women said, just barely opening the door by a sliver and then coming in with a tray of hot tea, “I’ve made you some herbal tea, it should help with any unpleasant feelings you may have.” 

Juniper sat up a bit, placing a protective hand by Mogogol so she wouldn’t slide off him. He accepted the drink, blowing on it a bit before taking a sip. 

“Is this your house?” Juniper asked. 

“It is, my name is Ira, I’m a healer.” The old lady introduced herself, “I have to say, I was surprised when I saw a group of different species show up with you in tow, claiming to be your siblings.”

“We all share a father.” Juniper explained, surprisingly, he didn’t feel pain thinking about that man…

“So I was told, I was also told you have been dealing with Hanahaki disease since you were a young boy.” Ira added, “Well I’m happy to tell you that you’ve survived, you’ve finally been cured. I’m very proud that you’ve made it to this moment that you’ve probably been waiting your whole life for.”

…What?

“I’m cured?” Juniper questioned. How? It felt weird. 

He had lived with the flowers inside of him for years, only dealing with it occasionally in moments of intense anxiety, his asthma-like symptoms had been with him for years. He took in another breath, he no longer felt the clench of thorns as he used to, but he still felt he couldn’t breathe in too deeply. 

“Did you cure me?” He asked. 

Ira shook her head, “You’ve cured yourself. Your unrequited love has been requited, and I have a feeling your devoted siblings have helped with that. But you, you haven’t given up, you’ve conquered it.”

Juniper took another sip, he…Cured himself? Who knew, that the cure could be found through sheer determination. 

The strand of Hanahaki he was inflicted with was tough and caused by an outside source. It was highly contagious, bringing out the worst feelings at all who come into contact with it. 

It was so stubborn, Juniper never thought he would come to a point in his life where he wouldn’t have it. He had finally brought himself to this paradise, he finally let go of dad. 

“Due to the fact that you were afflicted by this disease while you were young and you lived with it for so long…I’m afraid your lungs are malformed and smaller than they should be for a half-elf.” Ira explained to him, “You will always have trouble with your breathing, but you will get to live a long and normal life.”

He was going to live…

“Thank you, we’re all staying at your house uninvited and you’ve helped to take care of me. How can I repay you?” Juniper offered. 

Ira chuckled, “You already have. When you were brought here, you shed your flowers…They were so beautiful, I’ve used them to decorate my old home. There haven’t been flowers in this house since my husband passed.”

She gestured to the ceramic vase that held an array of flowers. Yellow roses, peonies, and bright purple Hoary stock. Juniper could see more outside of the door’s opening. It was hard to believe all of those flowers came out of him…

But the woman seemed happy and not at all bothered by his and his family’s presence. 

“If you’re still feeling weak, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.” She said, taking his now empty teacup and quietly leaving the room. 

Almost on cue, Annabeth lifted her head that had been resting against arm and stretched, seemingly aching from the uncomfortable position she had slept in. 

She opened her eyes, took one look at him, and jumped out of her seat. 

“Juniper!” She shouted at a volume Juniper didn’t think possible, and the rest of the siblings awoke one by one, all received to see him. 

“Oh Juni!” Mogogol jumped up from his hand and hugged his face, she moved once Annabeth insisted on inspecting him. 

“Your color has returned back to normal, that’s good.” Annabeth said, his chin cupped in his hand, then she placed a hand on his forehead, “Temperature is back to normal as well. Thank the goddess, we almost lost you for a moment.” 

“You’re never allowed to scare us like that ever again!” Anemone said in a stern voice, but her tears betrayed her words, “I’m so glad you’re okay!” She pulled him into a hug. 

“I knew you would be just fine, there’s still so much for us to do!” Atlaya exclaimed, also hugging him. 

Gnog crawled up the bed and joined in, sufficiently weighing him down, “Gnog protected brother all night!” 

“G-Guys, I…N-Need to breathe.” Juniper tried to explain, curse his weak lungs. He may be free of the disease, but they never failed to cause him issues. 

“Give him some air." Reesa spoke up, her and Cervantes joining the bedside. 

Even after she got the rest of the siblings off, she herself snuck in a small hug and Cervantes ruffled up his hair. 

“Do you feel better, Juni?” Cervantes asked. 

“I do, it’s strange. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day where I didn’t have Hanahaki…” Juni admitted, “I don’t remember much, I just remember thinking that I didn’t want to leave everyone…That you all make me feel so loved, I didn’t know I was capable of feeling loved.” 

“Well, you are. It seems that you’ve finally accepted you are too.” Ressa said, “I’m proud of you, we all are.”

“You kicked Hanahaki’s ass!” Atlaya exclaimed. 

“Language, Atlaya.” Annabeth corrected, “Also flowers do not have bottoms.” 

“Do you want to rest more?” Anemone asked him. 

Juniper thought for a moment, he was tired beyond belief…But a huge burden that weight heavy on his shoulders had finally been lifted. He wanted to enjoy how that felt. 

“Actually, I’d like to go outside.” Juniper said, sliding out of bed, his bare feet touching the cold wooden flooring. 

“I’ve got you.” Cervantes placed a protective arm against Juniper’s back in case he felt unsteady. 

He walked through Ira’s small home, his flowers decorated in wreaths and arrangements all over all the walls and furniture, all bright wonderful colors. 

Juniper stood outside, felt the air blow his hair and fill his lungs. 

He breathed in deeply, happy to be breathing, happy to be alive…

Happy to be loved.


End file.
